Flashback:
Weird Bizarre Anti-Christian Liberals Go Bananas: Post-Election Psychosis
Posted on 04/12/2005 2:43:56 PM PDT by ninenot
Culture & Cosmos
April 12, 2005 Volume 2, Number 36
Democratic Strategists Issue Memo on Loss of Catholics
A memo authored by a prominent Democratic strategy organization calls the decline in support of white Catholics for Democrats "striking" and "a big part of the 2004 election story." One of the analysis' key findings is that Catholic voters are becoming more pro-life which the authors called "a factor in the recent losses and one of the blockages for Democrats, at least in the Midwest." The data also reveals that young Catholics are more pro-life than their parents and that bishops who speak out against pro-abortion politicians help bolster the pro-life vote.
The abortion issue is particularly potent for a group called "Democratic defectors" who either identified themselves as Democrats or voted for Bill Clinton in 1996 but voted for President Bush in the last election. Among this group, "26 percent believe that abortion should be illegal in all cases, nearly three times the number for all Catholic Democrats."
The memo was issued by Democracy Corps, a research and tactical advice organization founded by Democrat strategy virtuosos James Carville, Stanley Greenberg and Bob Shrum. Titled "Reclaiming the White Catholic Vote," it is based on data from a nationwide survey of more than a 1,000 white Catholic voters. The decline in the white Catholic vote has been steady over the last decade. Clinton won it by seven percentage points; Al Gore lost it by seven points; and Sen. John Kerry lost it by 14 points. The data provided in the report provides a fascinating window into the much discussed Catholic vote and makes it clear Democrats are losing ground because of their stance on a range of cultural issues.
It turns out that one of the most contentious and visible issues in the 2004 election, the denial of the Eucharist to pro-abortion politicians, did not hurt the pro-life side as many said it would. The poll found that when white Catholics were asked whether or not they were more or less likely to vote for a Democrat that "is denied communion by the area's bishop for voting to support abortion rights" 49 percent said they were less likely while 33 percent said they were more likely.
The memo also made it clear that the abortion issue is not going away. "Although the pro-life position is strongest among seniors, Catholics current pro-life position does not appear likely to lessen with time. While middle-age Catholics lean toward keeping abortion legal, voters under 30 are more pro-life: 53 percent believe abortion should be illegal in most cases." The pro-life position could be a winning one for Democrats according to the study. Fifty-nine percent of white Catholics say they are more likely to support a Democratic candidate who is pro-life and 35 percent say they are less likely, giving a pro-life Democrat a 24 point advantage. Even on the East Coast where Catholics are less pro-life, a pro-life Democrat has a 12 point advantage over a pro-abortion candidate.
The memo advises Democrat candidates to get around the issue by presenting themselves as one who "[b]elieves in a woman's right to choose but believes all sides should come together around the common goal of preventing and reducing the number of abortions, with more sex ed, including abstinence, access to contraception and more adoption." This common ground approach is reminiscent of a recent speech given by New York Senator and likely presidential candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in which she softened her approach to abortion by calling it a "tragic choice." In the speech she said faith-based abstinence should be embraced but also called on increased funding for "family planning services," a euphemism for contraception, abortifacients and abortions.
Yup. It's fair to say that I haven't looked at a Dimowit candidate for ANYTHING in the last 30 years--maybe 35.
I did prefer Anderson to Nixon, back when.
Trenchant observation.
I shoulda thunk of that, insofar as it's the Dimowits who've been yapping about "partisanhip" for the last several years.
I believe the phenomenon is called "projection."
They have changed their spin over the last few months. They shifted from whining about the "moral values" thing to brooding over how to repackage the same old tired "culture of death" agenda so that they can hoodwink Catholics and other conservative Christians to think they are regular "family" people.
True.
Bump.
Very True.
This coupled with their attempts to defeat America at war have them where they are today. It wasn't just about the WOT. It wasn't just about Values. Faith. It was a combination of both. The coupled effect is that their extremisism is defeating Liberal policies better than we could do. They are becoming associated with half naked unbathed greasy haired stoned men and women blocking traffic shouting dated slogans like "Make Peace, Not War" or "Blood for Oil". There is no better advertisement against Liberalism than their base.
But they do. It's not up to me to decide church membership.
Sure they do. That said, I could consider myself the King of Jutland, but it wouldn't necessarily make it so.
At some point, a reasonable judgment of the nature of a thing is called for.
I agree with you - but that being said, it's a poll of 'people who consider themselves to be Catholic,' and not a poll to see if you or I would consider them Catholic. That's the distinction.
Catholics also liked Reagan. Even though Reagan adopted his mother's evangelical relgion, he still had the "tone" of his Catholic father, and his brother was Catholic. Kerry sounds more Episcopalian than Catholic and a liberal Episcopalian at that. Has anyone polled the "Anglican" vote (small though that was, to see how traditional Episcopalians voted? I have the feeling they voted for Bush.
The attitude of young Catholics has obviously bee influened by their love for John Paull II. Those Catholics who grew up during the reign of Paul VI tend to be much more liberal.
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What do all of you think?
Discussion thread -- the dims have done it to themselves.
Schadenfreude call!
More Catholics are taking their faith more seriously.
If they think abortion is the only reason white Catholics are leaving the Dimocrat party, they are way off base. While it was a big factor, there are many other reasons THIS democrat left the party - and I won't go back, no matter how moderate they get! Let them think it's all about abortion.
They just don't get it.
That's good.
Let them stay in the dark.
Conservative pro-life Christian voters made monumental contributions to GWB's 2004 vote totals. Pres Bush won with 63 Million Votes (13 million more than 2000).
The map, though impressive, conveys the misleading impression that blue state Catholics voted for Kerry (a CINO).
According to EWTN "The World Over Live" analysts, with the exception of VA, where Catholics spit 70/30 in favor of Bush, the majority of Catholic voters split 55/45 for Bush.....a whopping number of votes since Catholics number about 52 million Americans.
According to CNN exit polls, Bush voters included 38% of union members, 40% of those with union members in their households, 42% of those earning $15,000-$30,000, 44% of those who earn under $50,000 and 44% of Latinos, 45% of youth (aged 18-29), 13% of liberals—even 11% of Democrats voted for Bush.
2004 Election polls indicated 34% called themselves conservative, 21% liberal.
The National Association of Evangelicals, which represents 39 million churchgoers. There are an estimated one billion Catholics around the world, and according to the Church of England, there are 70 million Anglicans. America's census bureau said 159 million US citizens describe themselves as Christians.
If you look closely, the map appears to place the insignificant "Other Voters" in the ocean.....that's accurate, because "Other Voters--RINO Republicans" were on cruise ships.
(MAP UPDATE Bush won Ohio, Iowa and New Mexico later.)
I am a traditional Anglican and I voted for Bush. My mother is an Episcopalian and she also voted for Bush.
I would classify myself as a conservative and my mother as a country club Republican. My mother is a fiscal conservative, who doesn't want to discuss the social issues, like abortion and homosexuality.
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Exactly right. Hillary's the perfect candidate for them in this goal.
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Why do you say that? Perhaps there is a higher percentage of Catholics in Boston and New York than the rest of the country that are pro-abortion, but it seems unlikely that the majority of American Catholics at large are pro-abortion.
I think we'll be seeing a lot of Rats trying to rapidly make themselves over (just like Queen Jezebel Evita) into a more "pro-values" stance to try and woo Catholics (not the liberal CINOs), Evangelicals, and Eastern Orthodox to vote for them. No real substantive changes, just a big shuck and jive outfit change to try and fool the sheep into voting for them. If they get into office, the masks will fall off and the real agenda will be railroaded through faster than lightning.
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